Automatic photograph-developing apparatus.



PATRAITRD 001'. 1-6, 1906.

G. N. PIPER.

AUTOMATIC PHOTOGRAPH DEVELOPING APPARATUS. I

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1904.

PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906.

G. N. PIPER:

AUTOMATIC PHOTOGRAPH DEVELOPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JANPE, 19044 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 4 7360 J nii zramlsaw IAUTQMATlC PHGTUGRAPH CUIEEPANY, @F ULEVELAND, Gilli), A (16% PORA'HO NOF ()Hlt).

no. esacae.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get, 16, ieoa Application filed January 5, 1904. Serial l lo.187,754

To will whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Gnones N. Pines, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Cleveland, Uhio, have invented certain lam-- provements inAutomatic Photogra h-Developing Apparatus, of which the to lowing is aspecification.

My invention consists of certain improve ments in the automaticphotographic apparatus forming the subject of my previous patents, Nos.708,16fi, ?'O8,lfi7, and 7518,3168, dated September 2, 1902, the mainpurpose of my present improvements being to provide for the simultaneoustreatment of a number of successively exeosed plates whereby 1 preventthat waste oi time which in the previous machines was permitted tointervene after the exposure had been made and while the ex osed platewas being developed and fixed.

11 using the present machine the persons desiring to be photographed maysucceed each ot ier as rapidly as the exposures are made. Hence thecapacity of the machine is very materially increased as compared withthe one in. which the entire operation of developing and the plate hadto be performed before another or; osure was possible.

In the accompanying rawings, Figure 1 is aside view of sufficient of anautomatic photographic machine to illustrate my resent invention. Fig. 2is a similar view il ustrating the parts in a different osition fromthat shown m Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a plan viewillustrating another embodiment of my invention, and Fig. 5 is aperspective view illustrating still another emin the tank 2, whereby a ptween the convolutions 0 bodiment of the same.

In Figs. 1,2, and 3 of the drawings is shown a receptacle having threetanks 1, 2, and 3, the tank 1 being intended for the reception of adeveloping fluid, the tank 2 receiving a fix ing fluid, and the tank 3containing a washing fluid. Ada ted to suitable hearings on the centraltan is a transverse shaft 4, upon which is mounted a screw conveyor 5,the lower portion of which is in close proximity to a perforated orother 0 on false bottom 6 ate introduced bethe conveyor 5 will by therotation of the latter be fed along on the false bottom 6 of said tank 2from one end of the latter to the other. of the screw conveyor 5 thelatter has be- At the delivery end tween its convolutions a rib 7. Hencewhen the plate reaches the final convolution of the 5 screw it is liftedby said rib from the lower portion of the chamber in which the screwopcrates, so as'to be delivered over the edge of the tank 2. Thesensitized. plates after being properly exposed in the apparatus are teddownwardly through a chute 8, but are prevented from leaving the lowerend of the same by an escapement-lever 9, having upper and lower pawls10 and 11 on opposite sides of the fulcrum of the lever and so spaced asto receive one of the sensitive plates between them. The normal positionotthis escapement-lever isthat shown in Fig; 1, the preponderance of thelower arm of the lever causing its pawl 11 to engage the lowermost platein the chute S, and thereby prevent the delivery of said. platetherefrom, "it, however, the depending arm of the lever 9 is movedoutwardly in the direction of the ar row in Fig. 1, the pawl 11 will bemoved out of engagement with the lowermost plate in the chute, so astopermit delivery of the latter from said chute; but at the same timethe upper pawlv 10 of the escapement-lever will be thrust inwardl asshown in Fig. 2, so as to engage the fol owing plate, and therebyprevent deliyery of morethan one plate at the time from the chute, saidup or pawl beingwithdrawn when the lever 9 is permitted to swing backagain to its normal position, so as to permit of the descent of theplates in the chute, the lower pawl 11, however, arresting the lowermostplate when it reaches the lower end of the chute and the parts beingthen again in position for permitting delivery of so another plate fromthe chute when the escapement-lever is again moved outwardly.A-rock-shaft 12 at the upper inner corner of the tank 1 carries a tray13, which is located directly beneath the delivery end of the chute 9 58, and therefore receives each plate as it is delivered from said chute,the tray being then in the depressed position shown in Fig. 2, so thatthe plate entering the tra will be submerged in the developing liquicontained in the tank 1, the tray being erforated or of other openconstruction, so t at said developing liquid has free access to allportions of-the interior of the tray.

The tray 13 is 0 on at the top. Hence when said tray is li ted toposition shown in too Fig. 1 a plate will roll from the same into thespace between the first two of the convolutions of the conveyer-screw 5,so as to be fed along the tank 2 and exposed to the action of the fixingliquid contained in said tank. On the tray 13 is a projecting lug 30,which when the tray has been again rocked backwardly strikes thedepending arm of the escapement-lever 9 and operates the same, so as topermit the lowermost plate in the feedchute 8 to drop into the tray, theupper pawl 10 engaging the next higher plate and preventing the descentof the same. When the tray 13 again rises, the lever 9 is released fromthe control of the lug 30 and resumes its normal position, so as topermit the plates to descend in the feed-chute .8, the lowermost platebein caught and retained by the lower pawl 11 of the lever preparatoryto a repetition of the operations when the tray 13 is again tilteddownwardly. Tank 3 contains a tray 14 similar to tray 13 and, like it,mounted on a rock-shaft 15 at the upper outer corner of said tank 3,this tray receiving the developed and fixedplate delivered by theconveyer-screw 5, and after permitting the same to remain immersed inwashing fluid in tank 3 for a proper length of time delivering it fromsaid tank, as shown in Fig. 2. The shaft 4, which carries theconveyer-screw 5, is rotated in any suitable manner, and the joint andsimultaneous operation of said conveyer-screw and of the trays 13 and 14is effected in the manner following: On one end of the shaft 4 of theconveyer-screw is a crankarm 16, having a pin 17, which engages a pairof links 18 and 19. The link 18 has a slot 20 for receiving a pin 21 ona crank-arm 22, which is secured to the rock-shaft 12 of the tray 13,and the link 19 has a similar slot 23 for receiving a pin 24 on acrank-arm 25, which is secured to the rock-shaft 15 of the tray 14.Continuous rotation of the shaft 4, therefore, provides for the rockingof the trays13 and 14, each of the trays, however,

being permitted to remain in the depressed.

position for a considerable length of time, owing to the lost motion ofthe links 18 and 1 9, provided for by the slots in said links. Theconveyer-screw 5 provides for the accommodation of as many plates asthere are spaces between the convolutions of said screw. Hence anydesired number of plates may be subjected simultaneously to the actionof the fixing-bath, and each plate may be retained in said bath for aperiod of time necessary to effect its complete fixation, such period oftime being considerably longer than that necessary to effect either theprior development or subse uent washing of the plate.

While I prefer in carrying out my inven tion to use a single fixing-tankand single conveyer-screw, as previously shown and de scribed, aplurality of fixing-tanks may be employed, if desired, each with its owncon- 'veyer. For instance, in Fi 4 I have shown apparatus in which threeing-tanks 2, 2", and 2 are employed, the conveyer in the first tankreceiving the plate from the tray 13 and conveying it through the tankin one direction and the conveyer in the intermediate tank 2 receivingthe plate from the conveyer in the first tank and conveying it in theopposite direction, the conveyer in the final tank 2 receiving the platefrom the conveyer in the intermediate tank and conveying it in theopposite direction to the point at which it is delivered to the tray 14in the washingtank. In Fig. 5 I have illustrated still anotherembodiment of my invention in which the trays and conveyer screw orscrews are no longer employed, this device comprising a series of tanks1, 2, 2, and 3, each with slotted, perforated, or other open falsebottom. In connection with each tank operates a 1'0- tating fork 26,carried by atransverse shaft 27, all of these shafts being geared to asingle longitudinal shaft 28. Hence by the rotation of the latterrotating movement will be simultaneously imparted to all the forks 26.The position of the various forks upon the respective shafts is suchthat the desired timing of their successive operations will be effected.Thus a plate delivered onto the false bottom of the tank 1 remainsthereon for a short time and is then caught by the first fork 26,cooperating with said tank, and is carried forwardly and fed into thetank 2, wherein it remains for a certain time before being ejectedtherefrom and fed into the tank 2 by the action of the second fork 26,the plate being allowed to remain for a certain time in tank 2 and thenbeing fed b the third fork 26 into tank 3, from which, a'ter it has beenretained therein for a sufficient time to efiect the desired washing ofthe late, it is delivered by the final fork 26 of t 1e series. In allthese embodiments of my invention, however, provision is afforded foracting simultaneously upon a succession of plates, each plate remainingfor a longer time in the fixing-bath than in either the developing orwashing baths, as is desirable in the proper and orderly operation ofthe machine.

The term bath as used in my claims is not to be interpreted as limitingsame to a single chamber, vessel, or receptacle unless the claim isotherwise limited in that respect.

It will be evident from what I have shown that other embodiments of themain feature of my invention can be devised by those skilled. in theart. are not to be understood as limited to specific mechanism.

I claim- 1. An automatic photographic machine having a treating-bath,and means for movin plurality of rigid plates simultaneously through oneand the same bath, substantially as specified.

Hence my broader claims ICC 2. automatic photographic machine having adeveloping-bath and a fixing-bath,

with means for subjecting the plates singly vstantially as specified.

to the action of the developing-bath, and for subjecting a pluralityv ofplates simultaneously to the action of the fixing-bath, sub- 3. Anautomatic photographic machine having a developing-bath, a fixing-bath,and a washing-bath, with means for subjecting the plates singly to theaction of the develop' ing and washing baths, and for subjecting aplurality of plates simultaneously to the fixing-bath, substantially asspecified.

v stantially as specified.

6. A11 automatic photographic machine having a plurality oftreatingbaths,a screw conveyor in one of said baths, and a tilting trayfor conveying a plate from the preceding bath to said screw conveyer,substantially as specified.

conveyer in one of said, baths, and a tilting tray in a succeeding bathfor receiving a plate from said conveyer, substantially as specified.

8. An automatic photographic machine having a plurality oftreating-baths, a screw conveyer in one of said. baths, a tilting tray Iin another of said baths, and means for effecting simultaneous rotationof the. screw conveyerand tilting of the tray, substantially asspecified.

9. An automatic photographic machine having a plurality oftreating-baths a rotating screw conveyer in one of said baths, a tiltingtray in another of said baths, crankarms on the conveyer-shaft and onthe shaft of the tray respectively, and a slotted link connecting-pinson said crank-arms, substantially as specified.

10. An automatic photographic apparatus having, in combination, meansfor developing and fixing an exposed plate, a platefeeder, and a stopfor preventing delivery of more than one plate at a time from saidfeeder, one of the elements of the developing and fixing mechanismacting upon said stop .so as to release the same, substantially asspecified.

11.. An automatic photographic apparatus having in combination means fordeveloping and fixing an exposed 'plate, and a plate feeder having anescapement-lever with oppositely-disposed pawls for engaging alter-.

nately the lowermost plate in the feeder and the plate next above thesame, substantially as specified.

12. An automatic photographic apparatus [having in'combination means fordeveloping and fixing an exposed plate, a plate-feeder, and anescapemcnt-lever therefor having oppositely-disposed pawls for engagingalternately the lowermost plate in the feeder and 7. An automaticphotographic machine having a plurality of treating-baths, a screw theplate above the same, one of the elements of the developing and fixingmechanism acting upon said escapement-lever to effect delivery of [theplates successively from the feeder, substantially as specified. Intestimony whereof I have signed my name in this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE N. PIFER.

Witnesses:

NORTON T. How, A. LEWENTHAL.

